Northern Ireland Wills And Probates Index

In Northern Ireland, wills and probate records offer crucial evidence of ancestry, particularly in the absence of many 19th-century census and church records. The ecclesiastical court system managed probate until 1858, after which the Principal Registry in Belfast took over. The Public Records Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) holds the majority of these records, including surviving wills from 1858 onward and some earlier collections. The 1922 Four Courts fire in Dublin destroyed many older records, but indexed transcripts and abstracts remain. Probate documents typically list heirs, executors, occupations, and property—essential for mapping family connections. For genealogists, these records provide rare and detailed glimpses into the lives and legacies of Northern Irish ancestors.

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